Tag: Oni

Former Governor Segun Oni has joined the governorship race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State. The entry of the APC Deputy National Chairman (South) into the race has thrown up some issues that may shape the primary and the election. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA examines the issues, Oni’s political antecedents, his strengths and chances at the shadow poll.

Ahead of next year’s governorship election in Ekiti State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have returned to the drawing board. No fewer than 40 politicians are believed to be nursing governorship ambition in the APC. They are already engaged in consultations and visits to party leaders and wards.

The lull in the PDP could be attributed to the towering influence of Governor Ayo Fayose, who holds the ace on who succeeds him. The other factor is the factional crisis that is tearing the party apart at the national level. This crisis has cast a long shadow at the Ekiti chapter, following a Federal High Court judgment which has stripped the governor of the control of the party.

The contest in the APC had long been described as competitive, but the entrance of former Governor Segun Oni into the race has further complicated the matter. Oni has confirmed the speculations making the rounds that he was warming up to contest at a get-together organised by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

Party leaders and members close to the former governor have been preparing the grounds for the governorship project. The promoters of the project had gone a step further by printing souvenirs, which are pasted on vehicles to proclaim the bid.

Oni, who is the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), made a grand entry into Ojudu’s residence along Iworoko Road, Ado Ekiti, to witness the get-together. The former governor said leaders and members of the party were united on his ambition and determined to build an election-winning platform as the poll draws nearer.

Dismissing the existence of factions in the Ekiti APC, Oni described the party as a “united and indivisible body”, adding that the chapter has “interest groups” and not “factions”.

He said: “We are one party. In every party, there must be interest groups. We are going into the governorship election and anybody going into an election must go with his own crowd.

“Our leader is Chief Jide Awe. Leaders are by convention previous governors Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Evangelist Bamidele Olumilua and I. Former senators are also on the same page with us on this.”

With Oni’s confirmation of his intent to throw his hat into the ring, the stakes have been raised further in the battle for the APC ticket and the governorship poll.

A native of Ifaki-Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area, Oni was born on September 5, 1954. He was a foundation member of the PDP. The former governor is a chemical engineer by profession. He had a distinguished career at Rank Xerox, a multinational company, before taking a plunge into the murky waters of politics.

Since then, Oni has had a chequered political career and has experienced the sweet and bitter parts of politics. He was a disciple of former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran. He was also a member representing the Southwest on the board of Education Tax Fund (ETF) during the first term of former President Olusegun Obasanjo before signifying his intent to run for governorship in the 2007.

Oni’s declaration to run for governor sometime in 2005 pitched him against the then incumbent Governor Fayose, who was interested in another term of office. Oni at a news conference in September 2005 alleged that some government agents were after his life, because of his interest in the governorship race then.

He was among the PDP leaders who formed a faction known as Egbe Majeobaje PDP, to oppose the ambition of Fayose for a second term. The group was led by the late politician, Chief Ojo Falegan. A meeting held at the late octogenarian’s residence was disrupted by security agents and Oni was ruthlessly beaten and dragged on the floor.

The alleged political persecution temporarily forced Oni out of the PDP; as he headed to the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) to pursue his ambition. He did not stay long there before some forces in the Presidency persuaded him to return to the PDP after Fayose had been ousted from power, through impeachment on October 16, 2006.

The PDP primary for the 2007 governorship contest was keenly contested. After the primary, Mr. Yinka Akerele came first, while Prof. Adesegun Ojo was second and Oni third. Akerele could not garner enough votes to win at the first ballot and a run-off was needed between Akerele and Ojo.

The run-off was stopped and Oni was fielded as the PDP candidate. He was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the defunct Action Congress (AC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Fayemi headed for the Election Petitions Tribunal twice and the Court of Appeal twice before he was eventually declared winner and sworn in as governor on October 16, 2010.

Oni also challenged Fayemi’s court victory up to the Supreme Court, but was unsuccessful before he defected to the APC.

Oni’s entry into the race is throwing up some issues, which would shape the APC primary and the election, if he wins the primary.

While some forces in the APC are comfortable with Oni’s entry into the race, others are kicking against it. How far can Oni go in realising his ambition to come back to power again? What are his areas of strengths and weaknesses as the day of decision beckons?

Strengths

Oni has the experience; having been governor before. In fact, he has the distinction of being declared as winner at the governorship poll twice on April 14, 2007 and April 25/May 5, 2009. Although both elections were nullified by the court, the experience will prove vital in the days ahead. The experience in governance will be his unique selling point to delegates.

Oni is loved by a section of civil servants, many of whom are rooting for his return. Although he had a frosty relationship with them during his tenure, they appreciate the former governor for his welfarist policies, especially the policy of pensioners getting their gratuities within three months of retirement.

The former governor still has the nucleus of his campaign structure, the Segun Oni Campaign Organisation (SOCO) on ground. The members are always at his beck and call and they will support their man in the battle for the APC ticket.

Oni’s supporters in the APC see him as a man of integrity; a man who is not controversial. has never been indicted by succeeding administrations. He still enjoys good relationships with many traditional rulers in the state.

His membership of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC is also an advantage to his aspiration. The recent experience in the party’s primary in neighbouring Ondo State is instructive, as the national leadership determined where the pendulum of victory eventually swung to.

Oni is also banking on his “homeboy factor”. Unlike other governors before him, Oni was born and raised in Ekiti and he speaks the dialect fluently. This is important in the contemporary Ekiti politics.

Weaknesses

Some party members are not comfortable with Oni’s entry into the race. This is based on premise that he would be entitled to a two term of eight years, if he wins the APC primary and the governorship poll. This, they say, would give him the opportunity of being in power for a cumulative period of eleven-and-half years, having enjoyed a three and half years stint earlier.

Agitators for the shift of governorship slot to Ekiti South senatorial district are the ones particularly against Oni’s ambition. Oni is from Ekiti North, which has produced two governors, while Ekiti Central has occupied the post three times. but Ekiti South is yet to taste the position.

Some young elements in Ekiti APC believe that the state does not need an “old man” like Oni as governor, as he would be 64 years old next year.

He is not in control of the state chapter of the party; majority of the party stakeholders are believed to be loyal to Fayemi. Party structure is key, when it comes to the success of any aspirant in primary elections.

Some party members have accused him of being stingy in cash and kind, particularly in his relationship with the State Working Committee (SWC) and members of the party generality, unlike other Abuja-based Ekiti politicians who assist the local chapters at the wards, local governments and state level.

A source in the party claimed that many of his loyalists may not emerge as delegates to vote at the primary, as “they had changed parties within the last five years from the PDP to the Labour Party (LP) and then the APC”.

The source said: “Many of those promoting Oni’s ambition cannot be trusted because they had not been consistent and are majorly politicians based in Ado-Ekiti and not rooted in their units and wards.

“About 75 per cent of his coordinators are from the PDP and he is just trying to make friends in the APC since his arrival. A good number of the APC members offended Oni when he was governor on the platform of the PDP and they are working to block his emergence, so as not to be in the cold, if he becomes governor.”

Oni is the highest-ranking indigene of the Southwest sitting on the National Working Committee of the APC. In what way has he used the office to the advantage of the Southwest and the South?

These are some of the questions he will have to answer when the governorship primary contest hots up.

Another question begging for an answer is: will another Ekiti man succeed Oni as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC when he steps down to contest for the governorship ticket?

Although he has his constitutional right to contest and he is a serious contender, some feel that he should not contest. Will Oni’s strength overshadow his weaknesses and secure the ticket for him. Time will tell.

The simplicity in his personage also reflected on how he juggles the demands of his office vis-à-vis the hordes of visitors that comes to his Abuja office. You can be rest assured to see him when in the office. Even when he’s not, his office aide will tell you the approximate time he’s expected to beback. And within that approximate time you would see him walk in. He is non-other than Engr. Segun Oni, the Vice Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress. In this spur-of-the -moment interview with Femi Odere, the former governor of Ekiti State bares his mind on some of the issues of the time. Excerpts:

As a key stakeholder in APC, can you give us a glimpse of what the Buhari government is going to look like?

Well, I believe that the Buhari government is going to be made up of people of integrity, first and foremost. It is going to have people of competence. His government will have people that have passion for the masses as well as passion for change. Of course, it will have in it people of progressive thinking. These are the people that will form the majority in his government.

The South-West was integral to the success of the presidential election. As a region which has never shied away from articulating how it wants the polity to look like, what are those regional expectations that can realistically be met by the Buhari government?

I will not want to zero in on the South-West. The expectations of Nigerians should be that this government will address directly issues that affect the common man and development issues. This government will be able to bring hope to the people because they will see an end to impunity. They will see an end to mindless corruption that has made everybody so disillusioned that change was not possible. This government is going to achieve landmark results in some areas such as infrastructure, corruption and governance, and internal security. I am very confident that we will achieve landmark results in these areas because the president-elect will deliver in these areas.

The gale of defections into the victorious APC even by major stakeholders in the PDP after the presidential election was roundly condemned by the Nigerian public and the media. They said that the APC leadership should have been more circumspect in receiving these defectors, if at all. What’s your take on this?

Well, defection is an exercise of fundamental human rights of people to be where they think they want to be. But we have to look at it from two points of view. Not everybody is defecting because they want to be part of sharing whatever cake is available. Some of the people that defected had found it very difficult to realise their own vision and goals within the PDP environment. Some are ideologically not contiguous with the kind of environment they found themselves. A lot of people went to PDP not because they believe it’s the party they should be, but because it is the party that is more or less in vogue. Such people will leave whether you’re offering them anything or any hope of anything or not. One of the reasons many of these people could not leave before was the question of where are they leaving to? Some of them did not believe that the opposition was organised well enough to be formidable. But now we have opposition that is formidable to the extent that it has become the government. The journey to a two party political system has started. You will see people crossing the two political divide. Some people are probably going to leave the APC in the future when they discover that they’re incompatible with the kind of ideological direction that we’re going. I expect a lot of people to still leave the PDP because they disagree with what the PDP represents. Yes, there’re opportunists also who would want to leave as quickly as possible because of the largesse they believe are available in the new government. There would be such people. The president-elect has provided what I would call a smart basis for evaluation. If you’re joining a house that has just completed preparing dinner don’t expect to be served ahead of those who prepared the dinner. But definitely if you’re prepared to be part of the house there would be other means to be served later. If people genuinely want to cross over and be part of APC because they believe in what we’re doing, even if they don’t make the list of Ministers or Board Chairmen now, they’re going to be the party leaders of the immediate future. So, I don’t believe that people moving from one party to the other should be seen as all opportunists.

There is a school of thought on the Ekiti political imbroglio that sees the 19 APC lawmakers as overreaching themselves in their efforts to impeach Governor Ayo Fayose. Its argument is that here is someone that the Supreme Court had ruled in his favour about his eligibility to run for governor. It’s saying that the fact that his party won all electoral offices in the state attested to his acceptance by the people. What more does APC want?

We want the rule of law. Even if all the votes in Ekiti were delivered to him without exception, they were delivered to him on the condition that he would rule us in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The votes were not delivered to him so that he would run the House of Assembly with seven lawmakers, which is unknown to law. You see, the implication is very simple. A hot-headed man whose agenda was to wreak havoc could come to power somewhere in Nigeria with three or four political gangsters and tell them to go ahead and pass the state budget because he wanted all the money by the next day. They would run everybody that disagrees with them out of town and pass the budget and spend the money as they like. We want to be governed according to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we have no apologies to make about this. If Fayose was elected by the will of the people, it becomes his responsibility to govern according to the constitution that he swore to uphold. A House of Assembly of seven legislators is not known to law at all. If a governor would degenerate to that level, that governor has insulted the intelligence of all right thinking people within that state and outside of that state. That governor has committed a rape of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That governor has turned criminality into a virtue because it’s criminal. It’s like robbery of some sort. So, Nigerians should be thinking about what the future holds for all of us, not one man trying to make everybody feel that whatever he does is the constitution. No, whatever he does should be according to the constitution, and not that whatever he does there would be the constitution according to him. If anybody is thinking along these lines, that everybody voted for him (I didn’t vote for him and even if I had voted for him, I would think that it’s a misuse of my vote), then it’s unfortunate. Some of us believe that there’s a minimum level of decency that we would like to see in anybody on parade as governor. If we’re not seeing it, must we not talk? Must we say because some other people don’t feel offended the rest of us who feel offended should have nothing to say? No. You see, we have to take this away from partisanship. Even those who are his biggest fans are yet to find us reasons why seven people should be called the legitimate legislature of the state. The people who designed the process that includes separation of power are not mad. I must tell you, there hasn’t been any legislature in Ekiti since December. There hasn’t been a judiciary either. And if everybody keeps quiet and one man, an emperor, now parades the streets with gangsters, wielding machetes and so on and that’s the rule of the day, must decent people not ask questions? What is going on is more than one man being impeached or not being impeached. It is an impeachment of our own conscience as a people. It is an impeachment of our rights to good governance. It is an impeachment of our own sensitivity and sensibility as a people. If he has raped us that much, if he has impeached us that much, should we give him a medal and ask him to continue? Let those who support him tell us what to do. The governor said he has apologised to all the people that he offended and I said the governor has not offended me. He offended the constitution.

What happens if, say, tomorrow the governor signs an undertaking with the House of Assembly that he will from henceforth operate under the rule of law you accuse him so much of violating, will you ask that his impeachment be stopped?

He should first sign an undertaking to backdate his own offence against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As far as I know, what he has done must be addressed, and we can then address what he would do. But I also want to warn; the people who came up with the adage that a fool at 40 is a fool forever must have been grounded in psychology to know that character traits don’t change significantly when you have attained the age of 40 and beyond.

What do you think Ekiti elders and elites should do in order to resolve this political quagmire in the state?

They say democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. The elites are part of the people. But they’re not taking a position. Why are their voices not being heard? Why is it that if the Okada rider holds a cudgel in the middle of the street, flexing his muscles and saying, yes ooo, why don’t others say that they’re also entitled to make their own voices heard. The conspiracy of the elites to keep quiet because they don’t want to rock the boat is going to be the greatest undoing of the system ultimately. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to move forward in spite of fear. You may become unpopular by saying it. You may say it and some people would threaten to burn your house. The fears may be there, but one should take courage and let the people know on which side you are. I want to believe that even those who are custodians of our culture and traditions should know that if the system falls out of everybody’s favour, they would also pay. It’s better not to have the system fall out of everybody’s favour. Once upon a time, there was a country called Somalia. It has not come back because of the apathy of the ruling class and the elite. They probably would have rescued the country from Siad Barre, but nobody wanted to stick out his neck. The people who wanted to do so were too few and far between. But when the problem came, everybody paid.  Are we going to allow a situation where we have a state in Nigeria that is not governed according to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? It’s not our problem alone. It is Nigeria’s problem. Some of us are not going to keep quiet and there’s no way you can get us to keep quiet.